A Prince of a Different Kind
by aRangersHorseLovesApples
Summary: Merlin is the prince of the pirates and the son of the great Captain Jack Sparrow. He enjoyed his life, but he left his life out at sea and found a new life in Camelot as the Prince's manservant. Merlin hid his identity for years, but when his past life comes back to haunt him his identity is revealed. Arthur may be understanding, but Uther...not so much.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello lovely people! I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous about posting this fic, but I'm doing it anyways. Hopefully you all enjoy it. :D**

**So Jack Sparrow I think I made him a bit OOC but hopefully I did okay. I think the majority of all the characters I ever use always have a little touch from me inside of them.**

**Disclaimer. I don't own Merlin or Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**On with the story ;)**

...

"Jack," Merlin spat at the pirate. Two of the crew had him by his arms and were leading the warlock to their captain. Merlin's wrists were bound behind his back, a collar was locked around his neck restraining his magic, and bruises were blooming on his face and arms from his fight to get away.

"Ah ah ah," the pirate grinned, "Is that any way to greet your father? I think not," When Merlin refused to say anything, Jack continued, "That's the third time this week ye've tried to run away, Boy," He stepped up towards his son. "Why can't you stay put?" They were standing on the land, their ship was docked. While they were out gathering supplies, Merlin had taken his chance and ran.

Merlin jerked his arms trying to break free from the pirates' grasp. It did no good. "I don't want to be like you. I want to be honest. I want to be kind. I want to help people, Father!"

"Yer a Sparrow, Merlin; the son of the pirate king, of Captain Jack Sparrow! You lie, you cheat, you gamble, you drink, you steal, you kill. Yer a pirate and you always will be! Now you better bloody well act like one while you're on my ship!"

"No! That isn't who I am! I don't want to be like that!" He protested to Jack. "Why can't I be free?!"

Jack stepped closer to his son. He grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close. "No son of mine is gonna be a filthy nobody livin on the streets of a big city," he hissed, "I'll make your life more miserable than you already believe it to be if ye pull another stunt like this again. Got it?"

"Yes Sir," Merlin whispered. He studied the ground in front of him, refusing to meet his father's glare.

"Good. You won't be needin this for a while," He unbuckled Merlin's sword from around his waist, "and suppose ya won't be needin these either," Jack stripped Merlin of all of his knives, and any other weapons that were hidden on his person. He then addressed the pirates holding his son, "Take him to his quarters. Make sure he stays put, and remove any extra weapons he has hidden in there."

They saluted Jack and pulled Merlin onto their ship. Once they reached his cabin, the two pirates let go of the young pirate. The warlock stumbled into his room, barely managing to regain his balance before they held him again.

These two crew members were nameless and cruel. They blindly followed orders without a second thought. Merlin had originally been caught by Daniel and James: his two best friends. They had let him go and told him to run. He was grateful for the chance to run, and they knew it.

His small victory of escaping didn't last long. After being released by James and Daniel, he was caught by merciless crew members. They caught him, bound him too tightly, and snapped that horrid collar around his neck. Then, it was directly to his father with him.

One of his father's men picked up the spare dagger from Merlin's desk before they left the sixteen year old in the room. They hadn't even bothered to untie his hands, and they had locked the door behind them.

Merlin sighed before moving towards his bed. He'd been on this ship since he was six years old. He was a skilled fighter, and he did enjoy his life out at sea. He just didn't want to hurt people. He was happy as a pirate, he just didn't want to be cruel and heartless. He wanted to be a pirate AND a good man.

The floorboard underneath hid another one of his daggers. He had learned to hide things he didn't want his father or the crew to find. With much difficulty, considering his hands were bound behind him, and not in front, he managed to retrieve the weapon. He slipped the knife into the bindings and quickly sliced through them. He grimaced as he brought his hands back in front; they had really tied his hands tightly.

He then slipped the dagger and his few possessions back underneath the boards.

Next was the collar. He traced the ruins engraved on it with his fingers as he paced in the small space. 'This won't be able to hold my magic for long,' he thought. 'It's much too weak,' It was still blocking his magic for now, but it wouldn't be long before he could use it freely again. This wasn't the first time Jack had snapped the collar around his neck. For now, it was best for him to wait and let his father think that he could control his son's magic.

Merlin fell asleep wishing once more for a new home and a new life.

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Merlin woke from his sleep when he was shaken by James. "Wha? James? Danny? What are you two doing here? If my father finds out he'll-"

"We know," Daniel interrupted. "But, we figured you might be hungry," he grinned as he held up a plate for their young friend to grab. They had taken care of him when he first arrived on the ship, and they still did now. They were both twenty years old.

James laughed as Merlin literally wolfed down the meal. "Hungry, Mate?"

Merlin smiled sheepishly, "A little," he swiped an arm across his mouth. "Thank you,"

"It's no problem really," Daniel answered. "You know, you really do look more like a pirate everyday," he looked the younger boy up and down. He was wearing a long sleeve, loose, white shirt with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. It wasn't hiding his tattoo and brand that marked him as a pirate: the small sparrow with blue wings (the blue marked that he had magic) and P on the inside of his arm right below the elbow. He had been marked along with his father when he had been captured a while back. The black belt which normally held his sword was still buckled around his waist, and a thin brown leather bracelet from his mother encircled his wrist. He wore baggy dark brown trousers, and knee high black boots. His dark raven hair had gotten longer. His bangs were slightly covering his sapphire blue eyes unless he pushed them out of the way, and it partly covered his ears.

"Very handsome young lad too, I'd say," James added. "But he never seems to act like a pirate. Too nice, too kind," They grinned and pretended to study him some more.

"Stop it," muttered Merlin, a small blush creeping up the back of his neck and the tips of his ears. These two were like his older brothers; they were always teasing him.

They chuckled slightly. "Alright, Mate, we better get going before someone misses us." James stood up from where he had sat next to Merlin, and followed Daniel to the door.

"Sorry we have to lock you in again, Merlin,"

Merlin shrugged, "It's not a big deal. Still, thank you,"

"Always the gentleman," Daniel bowed mockingly with a smile before making his dramatic exit.

"Bye Merlin," James grinned before shutting the door behind him.

Merlin heard the lock slide back into place. He sighed. He was alone again.

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The only thing left to do was sleep, but Merlin had had enough of that. Instead, he picked up one of his few books and read. His mother, before he had been taken by his father, had taught him how to read. It was one of his favorite pastimes. However, Jack despised reading. He had grudgingly agreed to let Merlin keep the few books he had collected but no more new ones.

By the time he had finished the book (again), it was dark outside. The crew was gathering back on the ship, and Jack was headed towards Merlin's cabin. His door opened, and Merlin felt a rush of warmth as his magic finally flooded through his veins again. It felt so nice.

Immediately he stood up to face his father. He was still shorter than Jack by just a little bit for Merlin had almost reached his full height of six feet.

"Merlin," Jack greeted his son happily. He had long forgiven him for trying to run away.

"Father," Merlin answered with a straight face.

"Aww come Merlin! What's with the long face? It's a wonderful night after all!"

Merlin tried to control his anger. What was wrong? "You locked me up. You tied my hands. You STOLE my magic, Father!"

"You're hands don't look tied now..." Jack looked legitimately confused. He swayed a bit on his feet. Maybe he had had one too many bottles of rum...

Merlin noticed him sway, "Father..." he said cautiously, "you're drunk," he took a wary step back.

Jack shook his head vigorously, "No no, I'm fine!" He tossed Merlin a key, "Come join us on deck! I'll be waiting!" With that, the pirate king wandered out of his son's room.

"Um...okay?" Merlin said to the empty room. He didn't bother with the key. Instead, he let his magic flow through him. The collar clicked open and slid from around his neck. He tossed it out of the window and watched it sink below the water.

Wait...the ship was still docked.

Merlin stepped out of his room and onto the deck.

"Hey! Merlin's finally joining us!" James called merrily. It seemed that the entire crew was now drunk.

Merlin paused, then he ran. He bolted towards the side of the ship. He jumped onto the land and just ran as fast as he could.

And he made it. He finally got away.

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**And that's chapter one. Please please please let me know what you think. Read and Review please. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! :D I'm so glad to hear that so far you guys seem to like this story!**

**This chapter features more of the Camelot part of things. There will be more closely related pirates portions later in the next few chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin nor Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**Cheers! Enjoy! Sorry for any errors. :/ And on with chapter two. :D**

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"MERLIN!" Arthur bellowed through the castle.

Merlin sighed and continued in the direction he was headed. Arthur could wait. Arthur was insisting that he and his servant go on a hunting trip later in the evening, and Merlin was not to complain else he'd end up in the stocks...again, even though the sky was clouding and Merlin just knew it was going to rain. The prince refused to listen, so now Merlin rushed around the castle and the square getting ready for the trip. They were leaving in five minutes.

Arthur walked out of the castle and down the castle steps and then nearly ran into Merlin. Arthur grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a stop. "Merlin," Arthur put an emphasis on his name the way only he could. "You didn't come,"

"Sorry," Merlin said breathlessly. "There has just been a lot to get ready," he smirked, "Of course it would have been faster if you had helped,"

Arthur glared at his friend, "You're the servant, Merlin. I shouldn't have to help,"

"Fine, fine," Merlin brushed off the insult with a grin. "Well let's get this over with already," he said as he swung into the saddle.

Arthur hardly even glanced at him as he mounted his own horse.

"Tell me again why we're hunting?" Merlin asked. As soon as they had left the city, it had begun to rain and Merlin was now chilled to the bone. It didn't matter how much cover the forest was giving, Merlin thought it wasn't helping at all.

"Because it's fun. Now quit complaining Merlin," Arthur grinned.

"I don't see the point in killing fluffy rabbits," Merlin grumbled. "Arthur! It's raining! Can't we please go home and hunt another time?"

Merlin's efforts were in vain as Arthur continued to ignore him.

Eventually, after no success (due to Merlin frightening off everything), they made camp for the night. Merlin insisted that they take shelter in a cave, and eventually they had a warm fire going.

"Merlin, take your shirt off. It'll help you warm up faster and dry your shirt faster,"

Merlin shook his head, "I'm alright Arthur," It was better that he kept his scars hidden as well as his brand and tattoo. He was glad that Gaius had insisted that he cover up his markings with something other than just his shirt. Even if it was just a few bandages, it was better than nothing.

Arthur wasn't taking no for an answer. "If you don't take it off I will for you. I don't need you dying from pneumonia," he had taken off his armor and his shirt but had put his jacket back on. "Here," he tossed Merlin his cloak. "Now take off your shirt,"

Merlin looked up at Arthur surprised, "Thanks, Arthur,"

Arthur nodded in acknowledgment. Then he surprised Merlin even more by beginning to prepare their meal.

Merlin's attire and appearance had definitely changed since he had been living on The Black Pearl. His hair was shorter, and he currently wore a blue long sleeve shirt with a red neckerchief and brown trouser with brown leather boots. He had decided to keep his black belt that he used to keep his sword on around his waist. He never did get his sword back from his father. He pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped Arthur's cloak around his shoulders.

"Arthur? Did you want any help?" Merlin asked breaking the silence.

Arthur glanced up at him, "No it's alright. I'm almost finished,"

Merlin nodded before gazing into the flames. Soon he was lost in his own thoughts from the past. He fingered the bracelet he always wore around his wrist. Had he really only been seven when he had been captured with his father? His fingers slipped from his bracelet up to the bandage below his elbow. It must have been. He remembered exactly how-

"Merlin,"

"Hm, what?" He was snapped out of his thoughts.

"Dinner," Arthur handed him a bowl with stew in it.

"Thanks. Is there any particular reason you're being so helpful on this hunt?"

Arthur shrugged, "I - I don't know. You just looked pretty miserable being all wet, and well, I guess I'm sorry,"

Merlin took a bite before grinning, "The great Arthur Pendragon apologizing to a lowly servant like me?" He knew he was giving the prince a hard time.

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur's cheeks had been colored with a rosy tint. Words had never been his strong point.

"Arthur," Merlin waited until the prince looked towards him. "Thank you," and he really meant it.

The next morning the prince and servant headed home to Camelot. It had been a long hunt, and they were both looking forward to spending a night in their own warm beds, but by the time they reached the castle, that was the farthest thing from their minds. They road into Camelot to see George being dragged into the castle by two knights. Another dark haired servant was being arrested and brought in by more of Arthur's knights.

They looked at each other confused before Arthur and Merlin reigned in their horses in the center of the square. "Leon!" The blond prince called, "Why are these servants being arrested?"

The knight came closer to the pair, "Because, Sire, the king has ordered that anyone who remotely resembles the son of Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirate King, is to be arrested," he held up a wanted poster for Arthur to see. "He's said to be somewhere in Camelot,"

"But that looks like Merlin!" Arthur said. Blue eyes, dark hair just a little bit longer, high cheek bones. Down to almost the spitting image of Merlin. The boy in the picture just looked younger.

Merlin suddenly felt the pain of his brand. It hadn't hurt since a few weeks after it was given to him, but now they'd find it and they'd kill him because of it.

Leon nodded grimly, "I'm sorry Merlin. I doubt it's you, but it's the king's orders. You're under arrest until the son of the pirate king is found,"

Merlin looked towards Arthur desperately, but Arthur simply nodded, "Go on Merlin. Everything will be fine,"

Merlin slowly dismounted and followed after Leon, unresisting. How had they found him? And since when was he a wanted criminal? -Well besides being a pirate and all. "Leon? Why is the pirate wanted? What'd he do?"

"You know both pirates and magic are banned, Merlin. Uther doesn't want a menace like that running around his kingdom," he began his explanation.

A menace...Merlin's shoulders dropped a little. When people found out who he really was...

Leon continued, "As for what he did, he stole some kind of stone from Cenred's kingdom. They said it came from some kind of crystal cave so it must be pretty valuable,"

A stone from The Crystal Cave...he was pretty sure he didn't steal it. Oi! He cried out mentally. Some bastard framed him! Someone who knew he came to Camelot when he ran.

"They want it back, and are willing to give a handsome reward to the man who hands the pirate over to them," Camelot was not on great terms with Cenred's kingdom, but Uther was willing to help for the reward. They had reached the cells. Leon opened the door to one of the nicer empty cells. It had a window, and it was well lit. The warlock stepped inside, and Leon locked the door. "I'm sorry. This should all be over soon, Merlin,"

The servant nodded and he was left alone.

*~.DOOM.~*DOOM*~.DOOM.~*

The morning light trickled into the window and splashed rays around the cell. The pirate jerked awake when a beam of light hit his eyelids. Merlin yawned before shifting into a sitting position. Sleeping on a hard dungeon floor was not something he recommended.

His musings were interrupted when the hinges squeaked as the door to his cell was pulled open. How had he not heard them coming? The knights and guards weren't exactly quiet.

"Come on you," they tugged on his arms, not bothering to be gentle. These were knights from Uther's personal guard. They were much more demanding than Arthur's knights, and they offered no mercy.

"I can walk!" Merlin jerked his arms from their grasps, and walked proudly into the throne room. All four suspects were forced to their knees before the king. Their knees hit the ground with resounding cracks that made Arthur and his knights wince. They believed that no one, not even pirates, should be given that kind of treatment.

"One of you," Uther paced back and forth in front of the four servants, "is a pirate. When I figure out which one of you is him, I will be handing you directly to Cenred," One of his knights handed him the wanted poster. "One of you will have these markings on your right arm, just below your elbow," he motioned for the servants to be checked.

Two guards pulled Ethan to his feet and held him in place while a third man rolled up the servant's sleeves. There was no mark. The guards released him, and he bowed swiftly before leaving as quickly as he could.

Next was George. He squeaked indignantly as he was pulled to his feet. He pulled his arms away from the guards and brushed himself off before rolling up his sleeves himself. "I can assure you, Sire, that I am not a pirate not would I ever want to be!" He huffed.

"Alright, you can go," Uther waved his hand dismissing George.

"Thank you, Sire," he straightened his jacket and left the throne room with his head held high.

That left a nameless servant and Merlin himself. The nameless servant was proven innocent. They checked him just like the others. Pull the man to his feet, roll up his sleeves, find no mark, and let him take his leave. Merlin had tried to ready himself for the moment when his identity would be revealed, but he was scared. Merlin was pulled up gently by two of Arthur's knights. They pulled his jacket off, and rolled up his sleeves.

"May I?" Sir Tristan asked fingering the bandages tied around his right arm.

Merlin swallowed nervously and nodded. Then, the blond knight untied the knot, and the bandages fell to the floor. There they were; his brand and his tattoo, available for the entire court to see.

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**And that is chapter two. :) I hope you all enjoyed! R&amp;R please! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone. I'm sorry this update took a little bit longer than the last one. I've been pretty busy the past two weeks. I got back from Disneyland, then I was constantly preparing for an audition for a band camp. Then all of last week was filled with band camp all day long. It was amazing if any one was wondering :P.**

**Anyways...Thank you all so much for reviewing! Ten reviews for just two chapters? Fantastic!**

**I hope you enjoy chapter three. Just a bit of Merlin whump ;). I'm planning of having more of Merlin's past revealed in the next chapter.**

**Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or Pirates of the Caribbean...I wish...**

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"Merlin?" Arthur asked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You're the pirate prince?"

"Aye Mate," Merlin said sadly. He had automatically slipped back to the slang the pirates used. It was, after all, the way he had been raised. "Merlin Emrys Sparrow. That's me name,"

Merlin turned back towards Uther, and his eyes widened in surprise. The man was marching towards him with a look of complete rage written on his face. If looks could kill...The pirate moved to take a step back, but he was stopped by the knights that held him in place.

The pirate grunted in pain as Uther grabbed his wrist tightly and forced his sleeve up even farther, revealing the blue wings of his tattoo.

"You're a sorcerer too!" Uther exclaimed, his anger increasing by the second.

"Sire, I - Ah!" He cried out as the king backhanded him across his cheek. He had only tried to explain that he didn't have magic by choice.

"You will not speak unless given permission to!" He spoke sharply, causing Merlin to flinch slightly. "Now then, Pirate, what was your plan? How long did you think you could stay hidden?"

"Wait, Father?" Arthur interrupted, "How do you know Merlin has magic?" he asked.

Uther nodded in understanding at Arthur's question. "Arthur, come look,"

Arthur took a couple steps forward so he stood next to Merlin and the king. Still holding tight to the warlock's arm, the king pointed at the blue wings of his sparrow tattoo. "You see this color, Arthur?"

The prince nodded.

"Any pirate with a color other than black in the tattoo of their name symbolizes their magic. They're evil," Uther explained. **(I know this wasn't in either Merlin or POTC but I felt that it worked nicely).**

"Father, I don't think Merlin is evil. It doesn't make sense," Arthur protested. "Merlin has been nothing but loyal these past few years. He's saved my life on multiple occasions. He even drank poison for me," he sighed, "I mean honestly, Merlin has had plenty opportunities to take my life, we have been alone together enough times. He hasn't ever," he corrected himself, "wouldn't ever try to hurt me,"

"The mind of a sorcerer will never make sense, Arthur," he said this as if teaching Arthur a child's lesson, "You'd do well to remember that,"

Arthur's lips set into a grim line, "Yes, Father," Behind Arthur's mask, he winced inwardly at the look of betrayal and sadness that flashed in his friend's eyes. 'I'm sorry, Merlin,' he thought.

Uther asked again "Answer me Pirate. Why have you come here? Are you trying to kill my son with your magic?"

"I didn't come here to kill any one!" Merlin answered angrily. "And I didn't steal anything either. I came here to start a new life. Apparently I'm not allowed to ever live in peace," He pulled his wrist out of Uther's grip and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Uther had had enough. "Guards, take the pirate to the dungeons and secure him," Uther addressed the curly haired knight next, "Leon, inform Cenred that we have his prize,"

"Yes, Sire," Leon nodded, "Owain, Gwaine. With me please. We leave in ten minutes," Uther left the room followed by Leon and his two companions.

Gwaine turned at the door and took one last look at his friend. Merlin looked like he had given up the fight. His head was bent and his shoulders slumped. Gwaine sighed before shutting the doors to the throne room. This wasn't right. Merlin didn't deserve any of this, and to Gwaine it sounded like he just wanted to live a normal life. And that was enough for Gwaine to forgive Merlin and accept him for who he was.

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"Defend yourself, Sorcerer," the guard snarled as he pushed the servant forward. Merlin stumbled into another waiting guard's arms before his back was slammed into the wall.

A small cry escaped his lips as Merlin's head cracked against stones. He gritted his teeth and forced his magic deep down inside of him. These men were fools if they thought that Merlin would use his magic. He would not give Uther the satisfaction of being right. He wouldn't harm anyone with his magic. He refused. His hands were pinned by two guards and he was unable to ward off the blows that rained down on his body. Most punches were placed around his ribs and on his arms, but one stray fist landed on his jaw and probably would have broken it if the warlock hadn't turned his head slightly at the last second allowing the punch to roll off.

"Enough!" The prince commanded loudly and harshly as he stepped into the hallway. "Merlin has had enough. Now take him to the dungeons as you were ordered, and do not harm him any further. Cenred wants him _alive_, remember?"

"Yes, Sire," They answered and began to shuffle down the hall again. The group turned the corner and were out of Arthur's sight. Merlin's trip deeper and deeper into the castle was filled with the guards tripping him and causing him to stumble. Arthur may have been their prince, but their order came from Uther. Uther never said that they couldn't have a little fun with the prisoner before handing him over.

Merlin was scared. Then again, why wouldn't he be? So much had happened within so little time, and this was just the beginning. He had never been this far down into the dungeons. It had begun to get dark and cold and wet. The only light was coming from the torches that aligned the walls. There wasn't a single window to let in any sunlight. The warlock wouldn't feel the warmth of the sun's rays during his stay.

They reached the cell at the end of the hall. It was more like a cage, if you asked Merlin's opinion.

"In you go," One of the guards startled Merlin from his musing. He stumbled forward and ducked underneath the low door. Merlin couldn't stand to his full height as the ceiling was less than two meters high. Merlin really would have rather stayed outside, because as soon as he stepped into that room he felt the dark magic crashing on top of him as if he were literally holding the entire kingdom on his shoulders. He slouched uncomfortably unsure of what he was supposed to do next, but the rough voices of his captors soon answered his questions.

"Sit down, Pirate," he commanded. "Over there with your back to the wall," He motioned to the back wall where the shining cuffs were attached directly to the wall; no chains in sight. They were unlike any Merlin had every seen before. They were two rings connected right next to each other. They were adjustable depending on the size of the prisoner's wrist. They opened on hinges, and they would close around his wrists successfully clamping them above his head and restricting them of any and all movement.

Merlin shuddered inwardly, but he complied and did as he was told sitting cross legged on the floor. He let his hands rest in his lap, hoping that they would just leave him be for the time being. Of course he had no such luck.

"Put your hands up," one of the guards said ruffly. He placed Merlin's wrists in the cuffs before tightening them to the point were they chafed Merlin's wrists when he unconsciously twisted his hands nervously. Apparently that still wasn't enough because a heavy collar was placed around his neck as well. His magic was completely restrained now.

The knights left, and he was alone in almost complete darkness. They had left a single torch in the front of the cell by the single window on the door that emitted him enough light to be able to study his surroundings. Merlin let out a deep breath to calm himself down before looking around. He was basically sitting in a stone cube: less than two meters high, less than two meters long, less than two meters wide. Every wall was stone except for the metal door with a small window towards the top.

Merlin sighed. How long did he have until Cenred's men came for him? Probably three days at the least considering it took about a day and half's ride to reach his kingdom. Then Merlin thought of the blond prince. Merlin had seen the look of distaste in Arthur's eyes and the way he had easily agreed with his father. Did Arthur care about his fate at all? Or was he happy that Merlin would be going to his death? Merlin let his eyes slide shut. He hoped Arthur would forgive him, but in the meantime it was best to rest while he had the chance. He wasn't sure when he would get the opportunity to sleep again.

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**And that's chapter three. :D Read and Review please! A couple of seconds is all it takes. What do you guys think about this chapter? About the ending? Arthur? Uther? Merlin? **

**BTW I know its been so long, but is there anyone who would still like me to update Morgarath's Brother? I'll hopefully have the next chapter to this fic and that fic up soon. **

**Cheers! Enjoy your week!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeeeyyyyy...Yeah I haven't died...**

**Sorry for the long wait in between chapters. School has been killer this year and I've got pretty much no free time what-so-ever. I managed to take a few minutes every once in a while to write so finally, after five months, chapter 4 is complete. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates or Merlin.**

**R&amp;R and Enjoy...**

**...0.0**

Merlin was considered to be a light sleeper. He woke at the softest sounds, he woke when he felt the use of powerful magic, and even when he had one of his 'funny' feelings. So of course he jerked awake as soon as he heard the sound of hinges creaking and metal scraping against the stone floor.

"Merlin," Arthur greeted as he stepped into the small prison.

Merlin looked up at the prince in surprise. He hadn't expected anyone to come see him, and he certainly hadn't expected Arthur. "A-Arthur," he stammered before launching into a hurried apology. "Arthur I'm so sorry! I wanted to tell you for years I just was scared and I wasn't sure how-"

"Silence," The blond cut him off.

"But, Sire, I-"

"I said silence!" Arthur barked.

Merlin snapped his mouth shut and watched Arthur carefully as the blond, who was hopefully still his friend, studied him in return. He didn't understand. During his trial, Arthur had defended him, but now...he wasn't so sure.

"I don't understand, Arthur," Merlin said softly.

"Well I don't understand either, Merlin!" The prince snapped at his servant. He ran a stressed hand through his golden hair before pacing in the small area.

It must've been pretty uncomfortable pacing like that, Merlin mused as the golden prince hunched slightly so he wouldn't hit his head on the low ceiling.

"Why would you betray me like this? I thought you trusted me. I trusted you! You were my friend! I surrounded myself in lies, because all I know now is that not only did I let a pirate get close to me, but I let a pirate with magic get close to me!" Arthur rambled in frustration.

"It's still me, Arthur," Merlin explained gently. "I'm still the same Merlin,"

"Magic is evil, Merlin," Arthur stated grimly. "Why would you choose to learn it?"

"Arthur? Do you think I'm evil?" When Arthur refused to respond, he continued in the same low and quiet voice. "I didn't choose to have magic you know," he had dropped his gaze to the floor and paused debating how to explain. He wanted Arthur to understand. It didn't matter if the prince listened, he just felt like he owed him. He needed to tell Arthur his entire story. "I didn't choose to be a pirate either,"

Arthur finally slid to the floor and sat against the wall next to Merlin. The pirate didn't miss the obvious space that the wary prince had put between them though. "Don't be ridiculous, Merlin. People have to choose to study magic. They don't just know how to use it,"

Merlin chuckled darkly. "But that is exactly it, Sire. I was born with magic," His gaze stayed on the metal door. "I never had a choice, and...and sometimes I'm not sure whether or not I would have chosen to keep my magic if I had been given the choice. I think that it's been a part of me forever and I just can't imagine what it'd be like without my magic,"

"Can't you just stop?" Arthur asked. Merlin wasn't evil, but every single day of his life his father had told him that magic was evil. He was told that those with magic had chosen to learn the dark art and should be killed because of their choice. But, Merlin said he didn't choose.

"No," was Merlin's simple response.

Arthur turned to look at the servant in surprise. "No?"

"Arthur I can't!" He nearly pleaded when he saw the prince's sharp glare. "It's not that simple!"

"Then explain," Arthur answered.

"My magic is like- Well I guess I could say it's- " Merlin sighed in frustration. Then he started again. "I don't just have magic. I am magic. My very being is filled with it, and every moment of every day I feel its warm hum as it flows through my veins alongside my blood. Using magic for me is like you and I breathing," a small smile had slid onto his face and his eyes had lit up as he talked about his magic. Abruptly he turned to Arthur, the smile fading from his lips. "Do you want to know why I can't stop using magic, Sire?"

Arthur nodded slowly suddenly afraid of the answer.

His gaze softened and he answered in a sad voice, "Arthur, if I can't use my magic, I'll die,"

"You-you'll die?"

The pirate nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry,"

Arthur shifted uncomfortably on the floor, and thought about how little he actually knew about his servant. Where did he come from? Why did he choose to come here of all places? Why did he leave? What did he mean when he said he didn't choose to be a pirate? He had so many unanswered questions. "Tell me," he said simply.

"Everything? That will take hours. Will you listen to all of it without interrupting?"

The comment earned him a hard glare from the prince.

"Alright, alright fine," the pirate grinned a real smile for the first time since they had returned. "I was born in Ealdor,"

"The town right out side of Camelot?" Arthur couldn't help but interrupt already. "Right inside of Cenred's lands?"

"Yes. Now shush Arthur. I've only just started. As I was saying I had been born in Ealdor. My mum raised me. She taught me to read and write and educated me relatively well. That's why I can help Gaius a lot with his work. Well, that and I've around the world quite a bit. Anyways, when I was six my father, Jack Sparrow came and collected me from my mother. She didn't want to have to give me up, and I'm not sure I had wanted to go either, but he threatened to burn down the whole village and take both me and my mother onto The Pearl."

"The Pearl?" Arthur asked.

"Mmhm," Merlin hummed his yes, "That is the name of my father's ship. She's a beauty. I wish I could show her to you."

"Mm, no," The prince pursed his lips, "I'd rather keep both feet on dry land,"

Merlin laughed a little. "Don't worry. You get used to the water underneath you. I should know. I guess I had been on the Pearl for at least ten years,"

********************************Flashback Time!*********************************

_"Merlin! Come here!" Hunith called to the little raven haired boy running around the farm. _

_"What is it, Mother?" The raven haired boy called as he ran down from the forest. Will was trailing slightly behind. Hunith probably just wanted them to come inside. After all, it was starting to get dark out. He stopped in his tracks and Will ran into him._

_"Hey what'd you stop for?...oh..." Merlin's father was standing behind his mother. His hand was gripping her shoulder tightly._

_"D-daddy?" Merlin's voice shook. "W-what are you doing here?" He stayed rooted to the spot._

_"Merlin, me boy! You've grown big since the last time I saw ye," He held out his arms as if he expected a hug from the child._

_A small whimper escaped the boy's lips. He took a small step back and Will gripped his hand tightly. "H-hullo, Mr. Sparrow," The slightly taller boy ducked his head._

_Hunith twisted away from the captain and stood in between the boys and the pirate. "Please, Jack! Don't take Merlin. He's just a child!" _

_"We've already talked about this, Hunith. I take the boy with me, or I burn down the whole town and still take the boy with me," He stepped around the mother and took hold of Merlin's wrist. "Come boy. We've got a long way to travel," _

_"Mother!" Merlin howled and yanked his arm from his father's grasp. "No! Mother please! Don't let him take me!" He rushed into his mother's arms and clung to her like a lifeline. Will had shuffled behind them both, hiding from his friend's father. _

_"I'm sorry, Merlin," Hunith sobbed and dropped to her knees in front of him. She brushed the child's raven hair from his eyes with a shaking hand. "I'm so sorry," She hugged him tightly. "You must be brave. You must be very brave,"_

_"I-I don't want to be brave, Mother," The frightened young warlock hid his face in his mother's shoulder._

_"You have to be brave," She lifted Merlin's head up so she could see his beautiful eyes. "You must be brave. You're saving the lives of many men and women today, My Boy. Do you understand?"_

_Merlin wiped the tears from his eyes with a small fist and nodded, "I love you, Mother," he said._

_"And I love you more," She stood back and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'll see you again, Merlin. Now go,"_

_He turned to face his father before swiftly tuning back to face his mother and Will. "Goodbye, Will," Merlin hugged the older boy. He then ran to his father's side. _

_Will watched for a while. When the pirate and his son could no longer be seen he spoke quietly to the setting sun. "Farewell, Merlin,"_

**...0.0.0**

**Good ending spot, yeah? I really wanted to get this chapter up for you all. I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think and leave a review ;)**

**I'm honestly not sure when the next chapter will be up. I'll try my best though. Happy slightly late Thanksgiving everyone. And early Merry Christmas.**


	5. Not abandoned yet I promise

**I've been really neglecting my stories and for that I'm sorry. I continuously see reviews and favorites and follows for this fic and every single one is inspiring and they all make me really happy. My life has been so hectic and I'm almost out of high school and I'm working super hard. I've started the next chapter of this and I really hope to get it up soon. I haven't abandoned it. I promise. Thanks for all who read this. Cheers. **


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